National parks and family vacations just seem to go hand in hand. In fact, most people over the age of 35 have at least one fond childhood memory of a national park family vacation. Today, many parents long to recreate that magical childhood vacation experience with their own children; but at the same time they worry about appropriate access. Are our national parks really wheelchair-accessible? The answer is a qualified “yes.” Access varies from park to park, so advance planning is a must; however, generally speaking most national parks are a great choice for accessible and affordable family fun.
Finding appropriate accessible lodging is a prime concern for many national park visitors. Camping is the traditional way to enjoy a national park, and some national parks have accessible campsites. Most often, “accessible,” means the campground has a level campsite, accessible parking and an accessible bathroom. Some national parks go a bit further and have specialty campsites. For example, Rocky Mountain National Park offers accessible back country camping at the Handicamp at Sprague Lake.
Some national parks also have lodges or hotels within the park. Although these facilities are required to be accessible under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, accessible rooms are often limited and difficult to reserve. Sometimes the best option is to look for accessible lodging close to a national park. On the plus side, lodging located just outside of national parks is usually cheaper than the in-park choices.
Accessible facilities and trails vary from park to park, but most parks offer at least an accessible visitors center. Many parks also offer accessible interpretive trails near the visitors center. Some parks, like the Everglades go a bit further. Although this park is composed largely of swamp and marsh areas, there are a number accessible boardwalk trails throughout the Everglades, including the Anhinga Trail. This half-mile boardwalk winds through sawgrass pines and is home to a wealth of bird life. It’s also a great place to get an up-close-and-personal look at the resident alligators.
Over in Yosemite National Park, the newest access upgrade was unveiled in April 2005 — the culmination of the massive ten-year $13.5 million Yosemite Falls Restoration Project. Designed by the same landscape architect who worked on the FDR Memorial in Washington DC, the project includes a new 3/4-mile paved trail to the bridge at lower Yosemite Falls. The gentle grade allows for wheelchair-access and the wide trail has many pull outs, resting spots and benches along the way. Indeed, for the first time there is barrier-free access to the base of Yosemite Falls.
Crater Lake National Park has varied accessibility; and the wheelchair-accessible Rim Village Trail and Watchman Overlook provide stunning views of the lake. And over in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, visitors can walk or roll along the Cades Cove Loop on Wednesday and Saturday mornings from May until September. During this time, this 11 mile loop is closed to automobile traffic; and it’s one of the most scenic trails in the park. And Although the natural entrance to Carlsbad Caverns is not accessible, visitors can reach the Big Room by elevator. This huge cavern has spectacular rock formations, and a large section of it is wheelchair-accessible
No matter which national park you choose to visit, advance research is a must. The best place to start is on the National Park Service website (which is NPS dot gov). Some parks have access information listed, while others only have contact phone numbers. Sometimes you just have to pick up the phone and talk directly with a park employee to find out about access.
Park rangers can also be a good source of access information. For example, even though I’ve frequented Yosemite National Park for over 40 years, last year a park ranger clued me in about the access at Washburn Point. Located just a half mile below Glacier Point, Washburn Point is nicely accessible, has spectacular views and is less crowded than nearby Glacier Point. The ranger was well-versed in access issues because his sister is a wheelchair-user. Remember, it never hurts to ask about access. You might just be surprised by the answers you get.
Finally, don’t forget about the America the Beautiful Access Pass, which you can find at the NPS website, it’s a lifetime pass for free admission to all national parks, monuments, historic sites, recreation areas and wildlife refuges. This money saving pass is available free to any US resident with a permanent disability, and it can be obtained at any National Park entrance. Don’t leave home without your America the Beautiful Access Pass.
Watch the video related to Rocky Mountain National Park
Experience a short hike to Alberta Waterfall in Rocky Mountain National Park. The Falls are at the end of a short hike along well marked trails. Enter from Estes Park, take the first left to the parking lot and hike in on this trail to the beautiful waterfalls. This short clip was taken shortly after a brief rain so the leaves are glistening, chipmunks were out, and the falls were very pretty that afternoon in the fall of 2006.
Help answer the question aboutRocky Mountain National Park
Why did they make rocky mountain national park a national park?(for my project)
Why did they decide to make it a national park?
also, if you could also help…
why would you want to visit the park?
thank sooo much
Have hiked this many times. Never get tired of it. Great vid.
What a gorgeous video! I have hiked the Bear Lake system many times but it has been years since I was there. I woke this morning from a dream, that I was at Alberta Falls. Thanks for posting this video. It gave me a taste of one of my favorite places.
Hiked up there today with my daughter! Cold and beginning to snow! A quick, beautiful hike with a very nice ending!
I was there 3 weeks ago…AMAZING PLACE!!! Would love to go back every year!!!
thats not canada its rocky mountain np colorado
I hope to get my Visa so that i will tour the whole canada
ITS SO BEAUtiful
Nice waterfall!
nice! you should check me vid about alberta!
Oh God I needed this! A virtual vacation.
Try the phone numbers on the site below. There is one especially for wedding permits.
Over 3 million people visit the park each year.
Trail Ridge Road is a beautiful road to drive as some people have already mentioned, but I also think it would be a shame to visit the park and not do any hiking. If you do decide to do any hiking, the Alberta Falls trail and the Cub Lake trails, (that were already mentioned), are very nice. I also like the Mills Lake trail. You can find directions to these hikes, and many more, on the website that I'm putting in the source box. Have fun
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I like Moraine Park Campground (8160 ft), located on Bear Lake Road approximately two and a half miles south of the Beaver Meadows Entrance Station, has 245 sites. Open year round. Reservations taken and recommended from May 21 to October 6, 2008. First-come, first-served the remainder of the year. Camping fee $20/site/night during the reservation period and when water is on; fee after water is turned off is $14/site/night. Recreational vehicle and trailer length limit is 35 feet.
This living showcase of the grandeur of the Rocky Mountains, with elevations ranging from 8,000 feet in the wet, grassy valleys to 14,259 feet at the weather-ravaged top of Longs Peak, provides visitors with opportunities for countless breathtaking experiences and adventures.
Throughout its 416 square miles of rock-ribbed wildness, Rocky Mountain National Park truly is a land of superlatives. Here, at least 60 mountains exceed 12,000 feet, topping off at 14,259 feet on the football field-sized summit of Longs Peak. Names such as Cirrus, Chiefs Head, Isolation, Mummy, and Storm evoke the grandeur of this high landscape.
Although the great peaks comprise the essence of the park, the delicate alpine flowers, clear lakes, rushing mountain waters, and impressive forests appeal to all the senses. An array of wildlife – bighorn sheep, ptarmigan, coyote, elk – adds life to the landscape.
The wide variety of elevations and habitats create a choice of activities for visitors. From scenic dives and short strolls along a gentle trail to more ambitious daylong hikes to vertical mountain climbs, Rocky Mountain National Park offers many ways to experience nature in all its splendor.
It is truly one of the most beautiful of all the national parks and deserves a visit!
I'd suggest the Estes Park side more than the Grand Lake side, if you are looking for economy. You might even stay in Longmont, but that would be a lot of driving to and from the park each day. Take the stroller. There will be places that you'll have to carry the baby, but not everywhere. Have a great time.
I'd say Rocky Mountain National Park. It's much easier to get to and I think the scenery is much better than Gunnison National Forest. Also, the hiking trails at the national park are much easier to reach since most of the roads are either paved, or good dirt roads.
The one disadvantage of the park is that it can be crowded during the summer but many people don't hike the longer trails. (Or even the average length trails like six or seven miles roundtrip.) So, if you do, you can escape the majority of people. The most popular trail, (from my experience anyway), is the one that starts at the Bear Lake parking area, and goes to Dream and Emerald Lakes. The scenery is very nice along there which is obviously why it's so popular, but you'll do better, (people-wise), if you hike other trails. Some that I like are Cub Lake, Mills Lake, and Loch Vale, among others. Of the waterfall hikes in the park, the most popular is Alberta Falls. It's a nice one but so are other waterfalls in the park. If you pick another one, you'll find fewer people on the trail.
There's not a whole lot to do in Gunnison other than hang out. I guess you can fish in the area if you like that but I don't. I go there to hike around the Crested Butte area since I've hiked so many of the trails in the national park, and I like to try new trails in other places.
Anyway, for more information about trails in the national park, (including descriptions and pictures), you can try this website:
There will be no fireworks in the National Park itself (they are a fire hazard). Outside the Park is Estes Park (a town)…they may have a fireworks show.
It can get cold at night, but 40 degree bag at night should be okay (20 might be better..or bring some extra blankets just in case). Remember that there are pretty regular afternoon thunderstorms in the Colorado Rockies, so be prepared.
Check the National Park Service link below for info on trails, camping, and fees.
Check the other links for info on Estes Park.
Enos Mills, then a 14 year old boy, moved to Estes Park in 1884. He quickly began exploring the mountains of the area, and wrote many naturalist books and articles describing the region. He later became a proponent of the creation of Rocky Mountain National Park, and he split his time between the mountains he loved and the cities of the eastern United States, where he lobbied heavily for the legislation to create the park. The legislation was drafted by James Grafton Rogers, a Denver lawyer and avid outdoorsman. Mills' original proposal included what is now the Indian Peaks Wilderness, but after compromising with local and mining interests, the borders were drawn very close to the current border of the park. The bill passed congress and was signed by President Woodrow Wilson on January 26, 1915. A formal dedication ceremony was held on September 4, 1915 in Horseshoe Park. The park boundary has increased during the years, with the largest parcel—the Never Summer Range—added in 1929.
The 1920s saw a boom in building lodges and roads in the park, culminating with the construction of Trail Ridge Road between 1929 and 1933. During the Great Depression, the Civilian Conservation Corps handled several building projects. Remnants of their camps can be found in the park today.